Links to C-Span Taped Interview with "Unhinged President"...and Text

[KoKo]

http://tinyurl.com/233hpm

Text and Link to Text:

http://www.c-span.org/executive/gwbushinterview.asp


THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary

February 12, 2007 INTERVIEW OF THE PRESIDENT
BY
STEVE SCULLY, C-SPAN
Library
11:41 A.M. EST

Q Mr. President, in 23 months our 44th President will be sworn into this office. With regard to the Middle East and Iraq, specifically, what will he or she inherit?

THE PRESIDENT: A society in Iraq that is learning to live with themselves; a unified -- a country that's heading toward more unity, based upon a modern constitution which was approved by the Iraqi people. There will be violence. There will be criminality. But they will also see a country in which the security forces are better equipped and better adapt at dealing with the extremists. They will see a political process that is working toward reconciliation. They will know there have been local elections, which enables the local folks to have more buy-in to the provincial government. They'll see a society that is an ally in the war on terror.

They will also know what I know, that the real challenge in the Middle East is to confront extremists and not allow the extremists to bully and marginalize and use their weapon of terror to gain safe haven and/or to gain an ideological advantage over the millions who want to live in peace. Q What do you think the children of Iraq will view -- how they'll view the U.S. in 15, 20 years?

THE PRESIDENT: That's a great question. It depends on whether or not we help bring stability so that a child can grow up in a normal environment or, relatively speaking, normal environment. That's a fantastic question. See, I believe most mothers want to raise their children in peace -- whether they be Sunni or Shia, Iraqi or any other part of the world. And if we can help this government be able to create the conditions so that a mother can raise their child in peace, I think people will look back and they'll be thankful of America. If America leaves, however, before the job is done, I think there will be great resentment toward America.

Q As you know, we hear from a lot of viewers every day. We had a call yesterday that wanted to know -- a viewer from Ohio -- what will victory look like? How do you define it?

THE PRESIDENT: That's a great question, and it's a difficult question to answer because a lot of people think in terms of victory -- in terms of the USS Missouri, for example, where there was a treaty signed on a battleship that said, "Japan has been vanquished."

You'll see a society that I just described, one where there's commerce and enterprise and the entrepreneurial spirit is flourishing; one in which there's -- life is relatively normal in a society that has been wracked by extreme violence, in the last year, in particular; one in which the government is exercising its responsibility on behalf of the people; one in which the constitution that had been voted on is the cornerstone of law for that society; and one which rejects extremism and violence and does not allow a group like al Qaeda to find safe haven within their borders.

-snip-

Q Some of your strongest supporters, Laura Ingraham on radio, Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity have said that part of the problem is that the media haven't covered the full story in Iraq. If things go badly in Iraq, are the media responsible?

THE PRESIDENT: I think that's a pretty interesting trick question -- "if things go badly." I think they're going to go well, otherwise I wouldn't have made the decision I made. The question is what the definition of "go well" -- if the definition of success is, is that there will be no suicide bombers, then we've really placed our fate in the hands of those who are willing to kill themselves. If the definition of success is the emergence of a stable society that's beginning to reconcile and do the political work necessary, then I think we'll succeed.

More AND WORTH THE READ here.........
http://www.c-span.org/executive/gwbushinterview.asp

[rodeodance]

1. I watched yesterday. Lots of little laughs before bush answered questions

It was surreal.

[KoKo]

2. It's surprising that Scully (who seems very RW to me) would have

interviewed him...and that Bush would have accepted given the gibberish coming out of Bush's mouth. Did Scully think interviewing him would pump up his flagging numbers? Was it to get his supporters rallying around because of the House Debates?

The strategy of putting him out there when he's looking so unhinged....well...it seems odd. :shrug:

[zanne]

3. He does look "nervous" lately.

And all the little "heh-hehs" don't help.

[KoKo]

4. He even apologizes to Steve for his inappropriate "chuckles"

in the interview. He knows he's unhinged....and flaunting it. Sheesh.... I wonder if he will hold it together for his interview this a.m. Maybe they gave him the heavy meds....

[elehhhhna]

5. How many "trick questions" will he dodge today?